7of 14Oklahoma City Thunder's Paul George (13) looks to pass around San Antonio Spurs' Dejounte Murray during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 29, 2018, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)Photo: Darren Abate, Associated Press

8of 14Oklahoma City Thunder's Corey Brewer shoots during the first half of the team's NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, March 29, 2018, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)Photo: Darren Abate, Associated Press

9of 14Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook, right, drives against San Antonio Spurs' Dejounte Murray during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 29, 2018, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)Photo: Darren Abate, Associated Press

10of 14Oklahoma City Thunder's Steven Adams (12) shoots against San Antonio Spurs' LaMarcus Aldridge, right, and Dejounte Murray during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 29, 2018, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)Photo: Darren Abate, Associated Press

11of 14Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook, center, shoots against San Antonio Spurs' Kyle Anderson (1) and Pau Gasol during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 29, 2018, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)Photo: Darren Abate, Associated Press

12of 14Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, left, is fouled by San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) as he drives to the basket during the first half in Game 5 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series, Tuesday, May 10, 2016, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)Photo: Eric Gay, Associated Press

13of 14:LaMarcus Aldridge is hacked by Kevin Durant as the Spurs host the Thunder at the AT&T Center on March 12, 2016.Photo: SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

The ball swung to Danny Green in the fourth quarter Saturday night, and he found himself wide open for good reason.

He had missed all eight of his shots to that point, including seven 3-pointers. His defender, Russell Westbrook, felt so confident in Green's lack of confidence that he left the Spurs sharpshooter to chase a steal.

Nobody in the AT&T Center would have blamed Green for passing on the chance to clank field goal No. 9. Except for his coach.

"We made it clear to him there's only two outcomes," Gregg Popovich said. "It goes in or it doesn't, but he still gets his paycheck, his family still loves him. So screw it, let 'em fly."

By the time his tiebreaking 3-pointer swished through the net, on the way to a 93-85 Spurs victory over Oklahoma City, the rest of the AT&T Center loved Green again, too.

With the victory, made possible by 26 points from Kawhi Leonard and 24 points and nine rebounds from LaMarcus Aldridge, the Spurs clinched the Southwest Division for their 21st all-time title. They also assured themselves home-court edge in the first round of the playoffs.

The Spurs improved to 32-0 at the AT&T Center, extending their regular-season home winning streak to 41 in a row.

They are now an unfathomable 12 games ahead of OKC for second place in the Western Conference, with a 56-10 record that also doesn't seem quite real.

Later, Green would deny he changed the game with his only field goal on a 1-for-10 night that matched his worst shooting performance as a pro.

"I think our defense changed that game," Green said.

But his corner 3-pointer with 7:19 to go gave the Spurs the lead for good in a win made sweeter for how hard it came.

All along, the Spurs looked at this five-game homestand as a playoff stress test.

"A final exam," Popovich called it.

After notching victories over Chicago and OKC, the Spurs next face the L.A. Clippers and Portland before closing next week with a visit from the mother of them all, Golden State.

Popovich says he will use this stretch to evaluate "who you really trust, who is going to be on the floor at the end of games come playoff time."

Green is postseason tested, owner of the NBA Finals record for most 3-pointers in a series. But he has also struggled through a mostly miserable shooting season.

Coming into Saturday, he was hitting 33.8 percent from long range, down from 41.8 percent last season.

The 28-year-old shooting guard still has value, even when shots aren't falling. Saturday showcased that, when Popovich opted to use Green to defend Kevin Durant, a four-time league scoring champ, so Leonard could focus on Westbrook, last season's top scorer.

Durant finished with 28 points, but went 11 of 25. Westbrook was 5 of 16 for 19 points with nine turnovers.

With OKC's two-headed monster misfiring, the Spurs held the NBA's most efficient offense outside of Oakland to 85 points.

"We fought through the whole game," said Leonard, who also notched three steals.

Green added a pair of steals to the Spurs' dozen takeaways, but had managed only a pair of free throws for himself until the fourth quarter.

So he was not completely surprised when Westbrook — seeing what he thought was an unsuspecting Aldridge with the ball near the foul line — set off for a game-altering steal.

"That's the way he is," Green said. "He's a gambler. He usually gets those steals. I was just surprised the way he did it. Usually, he has time to recover."

When Westbrook made his choice, it left Green with none.

"I had no choice," Green said, "but to make that one."

Green took the pass from Aldridge and drilled the 3-pointer that swung the game.

Afterward, a sullen Westbrook took responsibility for his gaffe.

"That was my fault, so I'll take that one," he said.

These are the types of things that work against a team that has lost a league-high 12 games when leading going into the fourth quarter.

These are the types of things that seem to work in the favor of a team as hot as the Spurs.

"I'm sure he probably wishes he could have had that one back," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said of Westbrook. "If it's a steal, it looks like a great play."

Westbrook no doubt set out to change the game Saturday when left Green alone in a tie game.